Wenger: Cazorla should have been in team of the year

Arsene Wenger believes Santi Cazorla deserved to be included in this season’s PFA Team of the Year.



Cazorla’s debut season with the Gunners has seen the Spaniard feature in every Premier League game, netting 12 times with seven assists, but he was overlooked for the Team of the Year.



Wenger was surprised the Spanish playmaker did not feature as he feels he fully deserved to be included.



“I am sure he must have been very close to be in there. In my opinion he deserved to be there based on the consistency and quality of his performances,” Wenger told Arsenal Player.



“And then there are the number of chances and assists he created. I think he deserved to be in there.”



Wenger has been impressed with Cazorla since his arrival from Malaga last summer but admits he has been amazed at his stamina during the season.



“I’ll tell you something – if you count the number of training sessions he has missed it will be similar to that [the games he has missed],” he said.



“I can’t remember the number of sessions where he had an injury. His consistency has been remarkable for the games and the training sessions. And one might explain the other one.



“I was not aware of it [Cazorla's stamina before he signed],” added Wenger. “I did check the number of games he played but I was not aware that he would have such stamina in the Premier League.



“I expected him to miss more games because the league is very tough physically. The duels are tough. It shows he has a remarkable body but it shows he is intelligent as well because he knows where to go [on the pitch].”

Cazorla delighted with Arsenal

Santi Cazorla is delighted with how the first seven months of his Arsenal career have gone.



The Spanish international midfielder joined the Gunners from Malaga last summer, and he has enjoyed an excellent maiden campaign in England.



"I think I've had a positive seven months personally as I have been able to come to a team like Arsenal and play in a great league like the Premier League," Cazorla told www.arsenal.com.



"It is a bit different to La Liga in Spain but I've adapted very well and I think Arsenal's style of play has made it a lot easier for me."



He admits that things have not gone completely to plan when it comes to Arsenal's results this term.



"On the pitch, we have definitely had our ups and downs, there have been good times and bad times," he said.



"I think that the team has lacked a bit of consistency and sometimes we have made mistakes that have cost us dearly. Removing these from our game will help us improve in the future.



"But it hasn't been difficult adapting to Arsenal's style of play or even to the Premier League. It is a bit different to La Liga in Spain but I've adapted very well and I think Arsenal's style of play has made it a lot easier for me.



"I was expecting to come into a league that would be a bit more physical, a bit quicker, and had a greater intensity than what I was used to. I was prepared for that, especially the physical side, so I don't think it was hard for me to adapt."



Cazorla feels that, at 28, he had to make the move in the summer, saying: "That was the leap I wanted to make.



"I wanted to go to a big club and an historic club like Arsenal. I'm happy here. The club's influence is enormous and it's incredible that it has so many fans around the world because that means it really is a massive club.



"Generally, I'm happy with everything here because the club treats its players so well."

Cazorla: 'English football is more exciting'

Arsenal midfielder Santi Cazorla has claimed that English football is more exciting than in Spain.

The 28-year-old has impressed in the Premier League since his summer move from Malaga, and thinks the style here suits him.



Cazorla also praised the atmosphere that English fans can generate.



"Compared to Spain, the football here is less tactical, but more fun to watch and play," he told the Daily Mail.



"There's too much technique in Spain and they are held back by it. This makes the match boring, there's a better pace in England.



"There's also more space, especially for players like me, and more time to think. Teams always want to attack and score goals in England. In Spain they are locked down by tactics. And the atmosphere here is just amazing."



Cazorla currently has 11 goals in the Premier League this season.